The Milkweed Tussock Moth has a wingspan of 1 5/8 inches. The forewing is a pale gray with white flecking. The hindwing is gray. The abdomen is orange with rows of black spots. The head has some yellow around the eyes. The early instar caterpillars are whitish with sparse gray hairs. The next instars are covered with vanilla-colored fuzz. Later instars are very hairy with black, orange and white tufts over the entire body. The orange tufts grow the length of the body and arch from its side over the top. They grow to about 1 1/2 inches long.
The species is common in Fontenelle Forest wherever milkweed grows. The caterpillars are seen much more often than the adult moths are seen. There are 2 broods a year.
The host plants are milkweeds. The females lay eggs in rafts and the caterpillars are gregarious in instars 1 – 3. They are solitary in later instars when they are marked with bright tufts. It is also called Milkweed Tiger Moth.
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